Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Menorah Review VCU University Archives 2005 Menorah Review (No. 62, Winter/Spring, 2005) Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/menorah Part of the History of Religion Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons © The Author(s) Recommended Citation https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/menorah/60 This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the VCU University Archives at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Menorah Review by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NUMBER 62 • CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY. WINTER/SPRING 2005 For the Enrichment of Jewish Thought ious versions of relativism. Filial piety is a identical. Moreover, the writings of Tales to Engage cardinal virtue in Confucianism as it is in Confucius contain both. Finally, the import rabbinic thought. Confucians point out that of ritual is affirmed in both traditions. Rabbinic Stories, translated no other humans can be more important Confucius greatly respected the treasure of and introduced by Jeffrey L. than one's mother and father, since they are ritual, as when a youth bows before his mas· Rubenstein. Mahwah, NJ: the source of his being. A person may have ter. If the youth fails to bow, he is being dis· Paulist Press five spouses, but she can only have two par· respectful and the relationship between the ents. In Judaism, respect for one's parents two is weakened. Apart from its moral sig­ naturally follows from the commandment to nificance,a ritual is also a work of art, since A Review Essay honor one's father and mother. In one rab· it is a means by which one expresses his By Earle J. Coleman binic story, a man loses a large sum of emotions. Indeed, a ritual is often the vehi­ money, because to gain it he would have to cle by which one conveys her most profound disturb his sleeping father. Rabbinic emotions. Thus the bowing ritual is not a tri­ Jeffrey L. Rubenstein introduces didac­ thought stipulates, however, that honoring fle any more than the rituals of Judaism are tic stories that have the power to enlist the one's master is loftier than honoring one's dispensable. Of course, a ritual may disap­ heart, mind and will, thereby demonstrating father, for one's father brought him into this pear, change or be suspended by another rit· that no learning smpasses that in which all of world, but the master lead him into the ual, but rituals themselves are indispensable these faculties participate. Beginning with world to come (Mishnah Bava Metsia 2.11). because they perfonn the essential task of the miracle story of Hanukah, from the By contrast, Confucians are emphatically allowing humans to commune and to com· Talmud, and concluding with the top of sin this-worldly. When Confucius was asked municate their emotions in an aesthetic way. and repentance in the stories of Elisha ben about the life to come, he told his disciples At weddings, it was customary to present a Abuya, Rubenstein clarifies texts that are not to be concerned about it, adding that if cock and a hen before the bride and groom in possessed of a brevity and subtlety which one leads a good life in the here and now, order to promote reproduction. Once when sometimes render them challenging. He the afterlife will take care of itself. a Roman troop took the birds, the Jews observes that the point of these stories was Rabbis presented the golden rule as fol· attacked the Romans ferociously, demon­ not to convey authentic history; rather, they lows: "That which is hateful to you, do not strating that to violate a ritual is a serious were intended to convey ethical lessons for do to your fellow. That is the entire Torah ." offense against a culture. future generations. In terms of genre, it is Interestingly enough, Confucius also fonnu­ Addressing the problem of evil, preferable to think of rabbinic stories as rev· lated the rule negatively: "Do not do to oth· Rubenstein states a common rabbinic elatory fiction. Aristotle would, however, ers what you would not like yourself." He remind one that poetry is more philosophical response: in this life, good humans suffer was later criticized by Christians who than history, because the latter is limited to because even they have sinned occasionally, regarded his version as inferior; i.e., as less what particular events have happened, but and bad humans flourish because even they direct than "Do unto others what you would poetry is more speculative. considers univer­ have perfonned a few meritorious deeds. have them do unto you." Of course, the neg· sals, and addresses what might occur. As But in the future life, the good receive only ative and positive fonnulations are logically with unsigned paintings, the genesis of rab· rewards and the bad receive only suffering. binic stories is obscure, for they derive from According to Rubenstein, Nahum of Gamzu schools rather than individual authors. There may have regarded suffering as a means by is, however, little ambiguity about the mes­ IN THIS ISSUE which to atone for one's sins. But as popu· sage of a typical anecdote: the thought and lar and recurring as this theodicy has been, • Reflectionsby the Author: actions of the rabbi who animates the story, it can hardly account for the suffering of Rochelle L. Millen illumine how others should live their lives. innocent children. And when Rabbi After all, such rabbis are sages and who • The Studyof The Holocaust And Its Yohanan declares that God delivers suffer· knows better how to live his life than a sage? Discontents ing only to those who can endure it, one As in the Confucian tradition, rabbinic wonders about those who, undergoing great • Jews Courageous morality involved emulation of an ideal fig· anguish, take their own lives. The pain of ure; again, as in Confucianism, the exem­ • Thinking Heart of A Concentration Camp: rabbinic martyrs is sometimes explained plary person presented a capsule "sermon," The Spirffua/Journey of A Young Woman with reference to their rewards in the next rather than a lengthy exposition . world or with the claim that God wanted to in Holland Under Nazi Occupation Regrettably, in recent times, the notion that spare them from some impending and great we should model our actions on ideal moral • Great Russian.Jewish Historians agony in this life. Theologians and philoso­ agents-an idea which was also supported • NoteworthyBooks phers, who find no theodicy to be plausible, by Aristotle-all too often gives way to var- will appreciate the face that, in Talmud 2 Menorah Review, Winter/Spring 2005 Bavli Berachot, three rabbis want nothing to Sometimes a rabbinic narrative is as question. It is certainly fair to say, however, do with suffering, despite the manifold ben­ startling as it is informative. For example, that today, sixty years after the death camps efits that some theologians associate with it. in the oft-quoted story, The Oven of Akhnai, hit their stride, we really do not yet have a The practice of dialectics in the rabbinic one reads that just as the majority is author­ satisfactory answer as to why the Holocaust tradition was of central but not supreme itative over the minority, the sages are occurred. At best we have intriguing and importance. In the academies, the art of dis­ authoritative over God. To justify their insightful studies that illuminate certain putation flourished, but skill in debate was claim they appeal to the Torah that God has aspects of the myriad events that made up invalidated when a sage made the moral entrusted to them. God responds with the Holocaust. But a final understanding mistake of offending or insulting his oppo­ laughter and declares: "My children have still eludes us, and may in fact never be nent. In short, one had to temper the pres­ defeated me." The importance of the practi­ established. Yet as we gain further remove entation of logic with the ethical values of cal is evident in a story about a rabbi who from the Holocaust and as scholarship in the sensitivity and fellow-feeling. Accordingly, values wood over wine and oil, for to bake a area has matured, we do learn more and Rubenstein recognizes Rabban Gamaliel for loaf of bread takes "60 loads of wood." more about the various forces -- political, his habit of humiliating other sages. In Commenting on a lesser-known aspect of economic, psychological and intellectual -­ argumentation, not only does one risk hurt­ the rabbinic tradition, Rubenstein explains that lay behind the Shoah. Holocaust stud­ ing someone's feelings, but one may also that in the intimate atmosphere of the acad­ ies have already taught us a lot, even if one fall into sophistry. The following illustrates emy, separations between colleagues or stu­ of the lessons is that there is still much more such fallacious reasoning: II A lame man and dents and their masters were as upsetting as to be learned. a blind man ate the figs they were supposed failures of marriages or within families. It was with these thoughts in mind that to guard. They defended themselves indi­ Occasionally, he includes material that bears I approached the book at hand. When I fIrst vidually: 'I have no eyes to see,' said the on relations between Judaism and saw the title of John Weiss=s book, The blind man. 'I have no legs to walk,' said the Christianity. For example, one anecdote Politics of Hate: Ant-Semitism, History and lame man.